Saturday, November 29, 2014

Abu Dhabi: Argentina’s Catalina ‘Catita’ Bastons upstaged a strong field of over 100 riders to post an exciting victory in the HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Endurance Cup at the Emirates International Endurance Village in Al Wathba on Saturday.

The 24th annual Brazilian Endurance Championships will be held December 6, 2014 at the Brasilia Country Club, Brasilia. Events will be the 160-km CEI3* 160-km race, the CEIYJ 2* 122-km race, and the CEIYF 1* 80-km race. The Young Rider-Junior races will be observations for the Young Riders 2015 in Chile.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Manuel Bandeira de Mello (POR) has been appointed as FEI Endurance Director to replace Ian Williams, who is due to retire at the end of December. The new Director takes up his post at FEI Headquarters next Monday, 1 December 2014.

Bandeira de Mello was selected following an intensive assessment process led by Odgers Berndtson Switzerland (OBS), a top international recruitment consultancy company in both the private and public sectors. OBS screened 30 applicants for the post prior to the final interview stage.

Manuel Bandeira de Mello, 54, served as Secretary General of the Portuguese Equestrian Federation for 13 years. Since 2001 he has been chef d’équipe for the Portuguese team at numerous FEI championships and was also chef de mission for the Portuguese team at three editions of the FEI World Equestrian Games™: in 2002 in Jerez de la Frontera (ESP), in 2006 in Aachen (GER) where Portugal won team bronze in Endurance, and in 2010 in Lexington, KY (USA). Before joining the FEI he was also Deputy Chair of FEI Regional Group I and Executive Board member of the European Equestrian Federation.

He has strong knowledge of equestrian sport through his work at the Portuguese Equestrian Federation and of Endurance as organiser of the FEI Endurance Open European Championship 2007 at Barroca D’Alva (POR).

Bandeira De Mello competed nationally and internationally in Jumping for 25 years, from 1972 to 1997, and was a member of the Portuguese team at the FEI European Jumping Championships for Juniors 1974 in Lucerne (SUI). He is married and has three children.

“I am very much looking forward to welcoming Manuel to the FEI,” Ingmar De Vos, FEI Secretary General, said. “I have known and worked with him for many years and I am convinced his extensive experience in equestrian sport as an administrator, competitor, and organiser will be important assets for our organisation. We were looking for a candidate with deep understanding of the sport who would be able to take over the Endurance discipline for the long term and clearly we have found that in Manuel.

“Our new colleague will work closely with the outgoing Endurance Director Ian Williams in December and will take over the role fully in the New Year. I wish Manuel every success as the new FEI Endurance Director and am confident he will be a great addition to the team at Headquarters.”

“I am really delighted to join the FEI as Endurance Director,” Manuel Badeira De Mello said. “It is an honour and a privilege to serve equestrian sport at this level. I am looking forward to this exciting new step and to fulfilling this challenging role to the very best of my abilities.”

At the same time as the FEI welcomes its new Endurance Director, it is also saying goodbye to a member of staff following the announcement by Veterinary Director Graeme Cooke that he is leaving FEI Headquarters for personal reasons after more than five years with the organisation.

Cooke’s main goal since joining the FEI in August 2009 has been to improve the international movement of horses and he has been instrumental in not only creating the High-Health High-Performance horse (HHP) concept, but also getting it accepted by the World Organisation for Animal Health, the OIE.

“Graeme was brought in to the FEI with the key objective of opening up borders for competition horses and his tireless lobbying of the OIE has resulted in huge improvements,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya said. “It’s a very difficult balancing act between promoting the free movement of horses while assuring governments that sanitary barriers are still in place.

“As our sport becomes more global, the movement of horses across continents takes on even greater significance, so the work that Graeme has undertaken and what he has achieved are extremely important and we are indebted to him for it. We are of course sad to see him go, but we have to respect his decision and wish him well for the future.”

“The FEI has been my home for the past five years and I’m going to miss it enormously, but I am leaving so that I can spend more time with my ageing parents,” Graeme Cooke said. “I feel we’ve really made a big breakthrough in international horse movements and I’m proud that the FEI has led the way on that. It’s an important chapter in equestrian sport history and I’m happy to have played a role in it.”

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Manama, Nov. 25. (BNA) -- Under the directives of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) continued the registration process of riders and stables who will participate in the Season-Opening Endurance Race.

The event is set to to take place next Saturday at the Bahrain International Endurance Village. It will be over a distance of 120kms, and it will be held with a qualifying race of 80km.

In this context, Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad stressed that the new endurance racing season will be an exciting one, which will see a high level of competition due to the strong preparations from the riders, horses and stables. He praised the early preparations of BREEF headed by its president Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa and stressed that this race is considered as one of the most important in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad noted that this race will be a very suitable opportunity for the riders to recognize their level of readiness for the new season. He also pointed out that the Royal Endurance Team is ready to reap the victories and titles of this year's season based on their strong preparations and determination to achieve more succcess.

Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad said that apart from winning trophies, his team will seek to achieve new records in the races, praising the outstanding efforts done by members of the team in order to prepare the horses and riders for the season.

On his part, Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa pointed out that this season will be an exceptional and special one. It will witness plenty of excitement and enthusiasm in the races between the riders and stables, especially with everyone beginning their preparations early for this season.

He stressed that BREEF began early preparations across all their committees for the upcoming season-opener, where he hopes to witness outstanding achievements by the participating stables and riders.

He added that this season's races will be different from the previous years', and he pointed out to the strength of the competition by all the stables.

This Autumn has given us such lovely weather to enjoy riding in great outdoors.

Hopefully the wee saga to follow will inspire many more riders to do just that.

Recently, the Dumfries Branch of Scottish Endurance Riding Club organised a wonderful outing in Cally and Disdow woods thanks to all locals who gave permissions. On having a pony party we need parking for our mounts transport and Cally Palace Hotel came up trumps we had good hard standing and the branch congratulate all who left the parking lot immaculate. Thank you all so much.

We enjoyed the company of riders from Biggar area Lothians Branch Glasgow Branch and great support from Cumbria some Dumfries members who reside there and some EGB members so pleased you could all join us as 23 in total came along...

Saturday, November 22, 2014

ESNZ is pleased to introduce to you our latest member of staff to join the Membership Services Team. Some of you may have already spoken with Tina on the phone as she has been with us since the 13th of October though is now ready to be introduced officially.

Tina writes:

After spending over 12 years in the dentistry industry, I embarked on a complete career change when joining Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) in October.

I have had long association with horses in a variety of roles, stretching back to when I was a child before settling on CTR and endurance as my horse sports of choice after being introduced to it in 2002.

I joined Equestrian Sports New Zealand (ESNZ) in October and have quickly immersed myself into the busy hub of the National Office. I cover the dual roles of helping back up the Finance Director as well as being part of the Member Services team which more than keeps me busy. I am enjoying the new challenge this job brings.

I’ve always had a love of horses and started riding when I was 12, on any horse I could find as my parents thought it was a passing fancy and that I would soon grow out of the phase or get bored.

I left home in my mid-teens to start my working life in dairy farming during which time I purchased my first horse, in the process becoming a keen hunter in the Waikato at a local club.

In my 20s, I had a change of direction and worked in racing stables in Woodville and later at Trentham as a track rider when I returned home to Upper Hutt.

At this time I met my partner at the local pub where I worked and got another horse.

Late in 2002, I was introduced to CTR and did this for a few years, placing second in the 2005 North Island champs. Soon after this a friend and I tried our first 40km endurance ride and from that time have been hooked on the sport.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

The second Dubai Desert Triathlon will take place December 5 in the Dubai Desert, UAE. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Makoum, the event will cover 3 disciplines of running (5 km on a desert trail), cycling (50 km on a cycling course), and endurance horse riding (40 km on a looped track). The start will be at 6 AM with the trail runners.

Nearly 400 athletes were part of history in the making as they competed in the first ever Dubai Desert Triathlon at Dubai International Endurance City on April 19 2014. The world first event brought together the triathlon disciplines of cycling and running with the traditional Emirati heritage sport of endurance horse riding.

The event, a partnership between Dubai Sports Council and Meydan, was a huge success, with the hundreds of participants and hundreds more support crews and spectators thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Participants could enter as an individual triathlete completing all three disciplines, or as a team of 2 or 3 to complete the 5km desert trail run, the 25 km cycle and the 40km endurance ride, and prizes were awarded to winners in the individual, teams, cycling and running sections.

HH Sheikh Nasser was full of praise for the event, saying “Today was perfect, the organization was very nice and I am very happy to have been part of this first ever desert triathlon. I am very happy with my times, I did what I expected to do, it’s been a beautiful day. I hope this event gets bigger every year.”

His teammate Mikel Calahorra was equally impressed, saying “Today was amazing, I only started horse riding a few months ago, When we saw this event was going to be on, His Highness Sheikh Nasser said to me ‘I am learning your sport (of triathlon), now it’s time for you to learn mine’ (horse riding) so I started riding. It’s a great mix of cultures here today and it’s been a great day”.
Third place getter Santos was thrilled to be competing in such great company, saying “It’s a pleasure to share the track with these guys, I have to fit my training around work, so to compete with great athletes like these two is great”

The overall women’s triathlon was won by Maha Khalid. She was delighted with her result saying “I enjoyed today a lot, I am a professional endurance horse rider so had to train hard on the cycling and running, but today was very good. It’s nice to bring all these cultures together, I’ll definitely be back next year”.

Second place in the women’s overall went to Ines Pintenat, with Sheelagh Pirzada in third. First place in the junior triathlon went to Atiq Hassan Ali.

Prizes were also awarded to senior and junior teams, with Al Bararri -4 taking out the junior competition and Etihad Stables 1 taking out the senior.

In the run leg the fastest female was Moroccan Champion Latifa Essarokh, ahead of Hamda Saif Alshamsi, while in the junior male section Sancho Barcia took the honours. In the senior male section Albert Robb recorded a blistering time of 14.10 for the sandy 5km desert trail. The women’s bike leg was won by Lisa Hancox, the junior male by Talal Al Balooshi and the senior male by Soufiane Haddi, just .03 of a second ahead of Ahmed Yousef Al Mansouri.

But it wasn’t just the winners who enjoyed the day, with participants excited to be part of such an innovative event. One competitor, Geoff Mitchell, said “It was brilliant to be part of this, it’s the first truly integrated multicultural event I’ve seen. It’s great to combine the Emirati culture with a triathlon and it’s so good to see so many Emiratis competing in all three disciplines. It’s a great leveler and we all love being out there competing together. Hopefully this event will carry on for many more years to come”.
Dr Ahmed Saad Al Sharif, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council, was delighted with the event. “We are so pleased with how successful today has been, to see such a diverse range of people competing together and enjoying participating is wonderful. We are proud to have made history today and we look forward to seeing this event become one of the hallmark events on Dubai’s sporting calendar”.

The CEO of official charity partner of the event, the Al Jalila Foundation, Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Alolama, said “Through unique events like the Dubai Desert Triathlon, the UAE continues to innovate and maintain a leading position in the global sporting community. Al Jalila Foundation was founded to contribute to the well-being of the UAE, and so we are proud to be involved with an event that not only promotes interest in fitness, but embraces endurance horse riding, a proud component of Emirati heritage.

“We are delighted to be the official charity partner of this successful event and extend our sincere appreciation to Dubai Sports Council for giving us the opportunity to raise awareness about Al Jalila Foundation. We look forward to working together on more sporting events in the future”.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

As of October 31 2014, Great Britain’s Nicola Thorne tops the FEI Open Riders World Endurance Ranking by just 9 points ahead of France’s Philippe Tomas. France’s Jean Philippe Frances is third. Willemina De Boer is the USA’s highest ranking rider in 29th place.

Occupying top spot in the Open Combination World Endurance Ranking is Switzerland’s Barbara Lissarrague and Preume De Paute. Spain’s Jrdi Arboix and Mystair Des Aubus is in second, and Hungary’s Jozsef Toth is third.

Laiza De Jalima (from the Netherlands) is the top ranked Open Endurance Horse, with Preume De Paute (from Switzerland) in second, and Kedjari Des Serres (from the UAE) in third.

Christina Kimery and Noslo’s Selket Da Yankee are the top Young Riders Endurance Combination, with Namibia’s Sune Wessels and Kalharabi Dakar in second, and USA’s Josie Whelan and FFC First Csea Lord in third.

17 November 2014, Doha ~ Doha in Qatar was once again the site of the The World Arabian Horse Organization Conference – WAHO Qatar 2014 – from 10-14 November.

A welcome reception and dinner on the lawn of the impressive Museum of Islamic Art staged a dramatic opening to the Conference. Providing the backdrop was Doha’s high-rise skyline outlined across the bay in electric colors.

The guests were given a warm welcome by Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club (QREC), who said the club was delighted to be hosting some of the world’s leading authorities in their respective fields.

Pride of Qatar Visits Before and After the Conference

“To complement the conference we will be inviting delegates to visit some of Qatar’s major stud farms and training centers providing a rare opportunity to see such a high concentration of quality Arabian breeding stock, race and show horses anywhere in the world...”

Rogate and District Riding Club have again qualified for the Red Dragon endurance championship.

They are a relatively-new club who took up endurance riding only two years ago. It was in 2012 that member Dawn Knee entered her first EGB ride and this was the catalyst for the club’s passion for endurance competitions.

Knee became team manager and organiser and the response from members was overwhelming.

They qualified in 2013 for the Red Dragon Festival of Endurance in Wales, finishing on a score of 104 and coming second in one of the most enduring and challenging rides in the country.

This year was equally successful and buoyed that success the club have been encouraging more members to participate in shorter-distance rides in the hope they would also get the endurance bug and join the teams...

Friday, November 14, 2014

When you decided to go into Endurance riding and started to think of what kind of horse to have, was your first thought, ‘I need an Arab’? or was it, ‘My cob/pony/hunter/shire or anything else I’ve got can do that’?

Back in the nineteen-eighties ‘my cob (etc) can do that’ is what most of us thought. The Arab as the ideal endurance horse had not been thought of. And those who thought ‘my cob can do that’ were right. In those days the Golden Horseshoe Ride was what everyone aimed for there was only one class, the one that is now called the Exmoor Stag: eighty/forty kilometers over two days. We worked in miles in those days so it was fifty/twenty five: it sounded easier with smaller numbers. In the eighties there were consistently between eighty and a hundred starters for that one class and everyone rode whatever horse or pony they had and knew how to get them fit.

So what happened? How did we get to entries of four or five horses for a competition that used to be thought of as the pinnacle of Endurance riding, available to all riders and all horses, not just the super brave and the elite? A lot has changed between then and now. There are far more competitions available nowadays so that is one reason perhaps, but here are a few others, and perhaps I can show you some reasons to come instead of not.

In the early nineteen-eighties, the minimum qualification for the Horseshoe was to complete one forty mile ride (sixty-four kilometers) and that was it. Nowadays we have to do more than just one ride to qualify, and sensibly so, because that makes sure that horses are fit enough by proving it in competition instead of just putting the miles in training on our own. But there is a difference in how we think of it. Now we call it ‘upgrading from Novice to Advanced’, and ‘Advanced’ sounds like something only the top people do: those with racing or international competition in mind. Remember those eighties? When anyone with any pony aspired to do the Horseshoe? Let’s look at the reality of upgrading because it’s not really so awesome. To get to Open you need three Novice completions; to get to advanced you only have to do two more rides, one of over sixty-four kilometers and one of eighty or more. That progression to advanced doesn’t sound huge when put like that, but we get frightened by that word ‘Advanced’, and we think it is...

Sunday, November 09, 2014

Manama, Nov 8 (BNA) -- Ahmed Al Dossary won the Qualifying Endurance Race for 80km held yesterday at the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Zallaq.
The event was the opening round of the national endurance racing season, and it was held in the presence of Supreme Council for Youth and Sports Chairman, Bahrain Olympic Committee President and Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) Honorary President Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who followed all the three stages of the race.

In the first stage which covered a distance of 30km, Al Ruwaie on his horse Jamal from Al Zaeem Stables came first with a total time of 1h 12m 26s in an average speed of 24kph.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak on his horse Happy from Al Zaeem Stables came second with a total time of 1h 13m 12s with an average speed of 24kph, while Al Dossary on his horse Khamon from Al Zaeem Stables came third with a total time of 1h 13m 52s with an average speed of 24kph.

The second stage was also with a distance of 30km, and Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak came first with a total time of 1h 14m 06s with an average speed of 24kph.

Al Rowaie came second with a total time of 1h 15m 11s with an average speed of 23kph, while Al Dossary came third with a total time of 1h 14m 10s with an average speed of 24kph.

The third and last stage of the race was over a 20km distance, and Al Dossary came first with a total time of 41m 03s with an average speed of 25kph. Al Rowaie came second with a total time of 41m 29s and an average speed of 25kph, while Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak came third with a total time of 41m 50s with an average speed of 25kph.

On this occasion, Shaikh Nasser assured that the opening endurance ride of the season was very strong in all stages, and what made it strong was the participation of Bahrain’s finest riders from start to finish.

Shaikh Nasser expressed his delight with the entry of many young riders, which confirms that endurance riding in the kingdom is capable of producing a fine field of stars, riders who will be able to continue their march of progress.

Shaikh Nasser noted that BREEF has planned for years to ensure the entry of young participants in endurance races.

He said that the next races will see stronger competition from the stables.

He expressed his satisfaction with the results achieved by the participants at the opening race of the season.

Al Dossary explained that taking the win in the season’s opening race makes him proud, especially since all the other stables and riders were seeking to win as well. He praised the significant role of each member of his team management in helping him to claim his win.

Under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Khalifa Al Thani, special advisor to H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, a team of internationally renowned experts with specialist knowledge in a wide range of subjects including equine welfare and behavioral studies, and genetics and cultural heritage, will assemble in Qatar for the 2014 World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) conference which begins on Monday, 10 November.

The Qatar Foundation and the Qatar National Research Fund are supporting two presentations to be delivered by Prof. Tadeusz Majda and Dr. Doug Antczak attending from Poland and the USA respectively, who will be joined by speakers from France and the United Kingdom...

Monday, November 03, 2014

DAVID FITZSIMONS BEST WEEKEND EDITOR AT LARGE
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH NOVEMBER 03, 2014

Abandoned. Overgrown. A pile of rubble with only a warning sign about its dangers for company.

The foundation stone had been laid in 1839 but the building was used for only a few years as its intended purpose — a Catholic church.

Two monks later moved in — but they were gone within five years. And then a bushfire destroyed its shingle roof.

It soon became the forgotten building in the Forgotten Valley.

The area’s correct name is the Macdonald Valley and it’s barely 90 minutes — but a world away — from suburban Sydney.

It traces its settlement history back to the First Fleet but when quicker road-rail access from Sydney to Newcastle was built, the valley became a backwater — hence its Forgotten Valley moniker.

The forgotten building, St Joseph’s Church, stood as a silent sentinel on a hill overlooking the valley for more than 160 years but now, like several other buildings in the valley, it has been restored and rebuilt to offer accommodation to the increasing number of people seeking a weekend getaway from the city.

Today the valley is also a delightful place for a day trip from Sydney — lush paddocks nestle up to the wide expanses of the Macdonald River between historic bridges; old buildings — many still in ruins — dot the landscape and there’s even roadside art, including a farm with fake animals around a waterhole...

The 38th edition of the 2-day CEI 3* Montcuq ride concluded on November 2, with France's Stephanie Arnal riding Qalife D'Aurabelle winning in a combined time of 10:41.27. Second place with a combined time of 10:46.07 was France's Edmee Merlin riding Zarafa De L'Hom. Third place went to another French rider, Lauriane Recoules aboard Guarfao De Bozouls, in 10:46.49.

Montcuq is one of the most famous endurance rides in the world, being as famous in Europe as USA's Tevis Cup and Australia's Tom Quilty. The trail has changed little over the years, and the history of the race is intimately linked to endurance riding in Europe. Pierre Passemard began organizing endurance riding in France in 1976, founding with Denis Letartre and others the French Equestrian Association Races Endurance, which organized the first endurance ride in France, the 100-km Rodez ride in 1977. The same year, the Florac and the 2-day Montcuq rides were established.